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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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Mortal CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"Winter?" Alec crouches down and inspects me. "Are you okay?"I look away so he won't see my tears and ignore my aching arm, which I landed on. "I'm fine."He offers me a hand. I hesitate, but having him so close proves irresistible. The moment I touch his hand, heavenly warmth shoots through me."Who are you running from?" He pulls me to my feet."No one." I wipe my face with my sleeve. "I was just going somewhere ...else.""You have no shoes on." He frowns, staring at my feet, and I follow his gaze.Turns out, I ran all the way across the frozen ground without even noticing my lack of footwear. I left my shoes back in the locker room."I took them off." I cross my arms and try to look tough."You took your shoes off in the grass and walked across campus barefoot?"I shrug. "I guess.""Are you trying to get sick?""No." I look away so he won't see the tears in my eyes. "I was just going to my dorm."My dorm that I share with Heather.Okay, so maybe that's a bad idea.Is
Mortal CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Holding my breath, I tiptoe down another few steps. The main building is quiet, but I don't trust that. This whole place is full of surprises.A clock ticks on the wall. Ten minutes to go. I should have just gone to the clock tower hours ago and waited for Alec there, but the thought of being in that dark, ominous building all by myself creeped me out.Suddenly, footsteps sound on the stairs above me. Panicked, I look for somewhere to hide.I reach the bottom of the stairs and look to my left. Most of the doors are closed, but there's one at the end that's slightly ajar.I put my hand on the knob and push. It gives easily.Panic flooding my stomach, I step inside. Crouching, I look through the crack as Madame Aldine descends the stairs and heads toward the offices. It's not until she's out of sight that I breathe a sigh of relief."Funny running into you here."I nearly jump out of my shoes.Whirling around, I find someone sitting in the windowsill, the window cracked behind th
Mortal CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I tap my pencil against my textbook and stare at the words on the paper. I've read the same paragraph over at least ten times and it still doesn't make any sense.Nothing makes any sense right now."Nice jacket." Alice takes a seat next to me at the long library table and pops a piece of gum into her mouth."Huh?"She nods at the jacket I'm wearing, and heat floods my cheeks. I completely forgot I'm wearing Alec's jacket. The only reason I have it on is because I figured I should return it to him whenever I see him today and this seemed the best way to keep track of it.It's definitely not because it smells like him.Nope. Not at all."It's not mine," I mumble, taking it off and stuffing it into my bag."Whose is it?" She leans closer, her eyes going wide. "Oh my gosh... Is that a guy's jacket?"Her voice pitches at the end, and I look around self-consciously, hoping no one else heard. Our classmates aren't paying attention, though. They're either using study hall to hang out
Mortal CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sitting in last period, I can’t stop thinking about Alec..He skipped the class that we share today, and since I didn't see him at lunch or in study hall it's a good bet to assume he doesn't want to be found.Am I really that disappointing to him?More than anything else, I hate that I care so much.Sighing, I try to focus on writing down the weekend's homework. Alec and I never had potential. It doesn't matter how I feel about him or what happened in that dream.Maybe Alice and Gregory are right and Alec is someone who just needs to be avoided.I roll my head from shoulder to shoulder, trying to loosen up my stiff muscles. There's a bit of time before I meet Gregory, so I plan on heading to the library and researching Silver Hunters and supernaturals. Right as the bell rings, my phone vibrates in my pocket.Unknown number: Meet me at the bridge at 5:30.I frown and text back. Who is this?It's Alec.My insides start to go warm and fuzzy, but I quickly shut that down.Me: So
Mortal CHAPTER TWENTY
"Have you been into town yet?" Gregory asks as we walk along the road with small cottages and impressive mini-mansions."No. So we're allowed to leave campus on the weekends?" I shove my hands deeper into my coat pockets."So long as we're back by seven."Seven. During the winter, it's dark then."What about the woods?" I hate the way my voice shakes."Don't worry about the woods." He bumps his shoulder against mine. "I'll protect you from anything out there."As hard as this day has been, I smile. It's genuine, too.I don't really believe Gregory, but at least he seems to mean it. At least he cares.But what about the warnings about the woods?"Would anything..." I clear my throat. "You know, come out of the woods and attack us after dark?"He shakes his head. "No way. The things in there stay in there. This road is just as safe as school."I nod, feeling a little better. Lighter, too. The air is cool and crisp. Leaves crunch underfoot and huff out the occasional smell of d
Mortal CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Heather steps into the alley, a gleeful grin on her face. A few of her friends follow closely behind, but two of them hang back.Smart girls, those two. They're probably afraid of what I might do.And they should be.Whatever this power is that's coursing through me, I can't trust or control it. If anyone wants to save themselves, they should run for the hills."Why did you do that?" I hiss between tight teeth. "You framed Alice."Heather cocks an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"I falter. No, I'm not sure. I'm just holding onto one bit of hope, desperately wanting to believe that I'm wrong and Alice hasn't turned on me."What do you want?" I say."Isn't it obvious?" Heather laughs. "I want you to go down. I want you to be the loser of Hawthorn. I want you to be the biggest joke in school."She smirks and takes another step closer. Her friends follow. I stare at them, my fists clenched at my sides."Come on, Winter." Heather lets out a low chuckle. "Are you going to let
Mortal CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
I snuggle deeper under the blankets, the waves rocking the little boat. Side to side, I go. It's calming, like being a baby in a cradle.Did my mother ever rock me in a cradle like this? I can't remember. I was so little when she died, I don't even recall her face. All I have of her are a few photos.Suddenly, a blast of cold air hits my cheeks, and I shiver. I try to pull the blankets tighter around myself, to keep out the icy chill. It does no good. There's a storm heading my way.I see it gathering on the horizon, dark clouds rolling and converging. It’s the kind of storm that destroys everything in its path. Relentless. Unforgiving. I climb to my feet, searching for a way off this little rowboat. All around me, though, there’s only water. Deep, dark water that could swallow me up at a moment’s notice. Panic floods my heart, and I grip the edges of the boat. I need to get out of here. The rocking intensifies, and the panic claws its way up my chest. I’m screaming, screaming
Mortal CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
“You good?” Alec asks. Butterflies flit through my stomach. This dude just carried me up a tree. Told me he’s a vampire. And now he’s about to do who-knows-what with me. Maybe drop me and kill me. And yet here I am, still crushing on him. I’d thought last night was the nail in the coffin, but apparently my feelings for Alec won’t go down that easily. I shift on his back, heat building through me. “Yeah.”“Good. Hang on.”As if I would ever let go. Suddenly, he leaps into the air. A scream rips from my throat, and I tighten my hold around his shoulders. He’s crazy! We’re falling!…Wait. No, we’re not. Alec lands deftly on the next tree, its branches bending under our weight. He basically skips from one branch to the next, then jumps again, landing on the next tree. My jaw drops, my stomach bouncing with every jump. How is he doing this?He picks up speed, and it’s like riding a horse through the forest–except in a tree. Oh, and that horse is a person.Laughter burst
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